The present invention relates to play toy figures extensible and retractable to enable the figures to grow or shorten in height, and particularly relates to toy figures having upper head and neck portions and lower leg and base portions wherein the neck and leg portions may be extended and shortened to heighten or shorten the play toy figure in combination with a body portion moveable along the neck and leg portions.
Many different play toys, such as dolls, are extensible and retractable to vary the height of the play toy figure. The mechanisms by which these figures are extended and retracted have included telescopic sections within the toy figure having friction devices engageable with the telescopic sections whereby the telescopic sections may be retained in selected adjustable positions, i.e., a selected height for the play toy figure. Toy figures of this type have, of course, brought interest and pleasure to small children and have been variously colorfully adorned and padded to simulate characters of various types.
According to the present invention, toy figures of the adjustable height type described above are provided an added feature, i.e., a body portion which is slidable along the figure between its base and head portions independently of the magnitude of the extension or shortening of the body of the figure itself. The toy figure of the present invention may therefore comprise an upper portion characterized by a head and a neck, a lower portion characterized by base and leg portions and a body portion which is moveable along the figure between positions adjacent the head and base portions independently of the degree of extension or shortening of the neck or leg portions. Additionally, by moving the body portion along the figure, the neck or leg portions afford the appearance of being extended or shortened without altering or changing the overall height of the toy figure. In a play toy figure, the body portion may be simulative of the stomach or "tummy" of a character. Its addition to and independent movement along the play toy figure which is adjustable in height adds considerable interest in and color to the toy figure and pleasure to children playing with the toy figure.
It will be appreciated that the various parts comprising the play toy figure hereof can be decorative. For example, the head portion may comprise a stuffed head with various characteristic facial features, for example, eyes, ears, nose or mouth, while the base portion, likewise can be decorative by simulating the feet of the figure. Similarly, the neck and leg portions may be covered with decorative overlays, respectively, preferably a fabric material, there being sufficient fabric to accommodate the movement of the telescopic sections of the figure and the movement of the body portion. The body portion, likewise, can be provided in a decorative material, preferably fabric, with or without enclosed stuffing, and may be provided with other appendages, such as arms or wings, similarly provided in decorative fashion. By securing the fabric of the neck portion between the head and slidable body portions and the fabric of the foot portion between the slidable body and the base portion, the mechanism within the play toy figure by which its height may be varied and the body portion moved up and down the figure are completely hidden from view.
To accomplish the foregoing, the toy figure is comprised of a plurality of structural sections telescopically receivable one within the other. The upper ends of the sections are provided with stops so that the sections cannot be withdrawn from their telescopic relation one to the other. Also, friction pads are provided between adjacent telescopic sections so that the sections can be extended or retracted relative to one another with the friction pads maintaining the sections in the selected telescopically adjusted position. More particularly, there is provided at least an upper telescopic section having a flange at its upper end on which the head of the figure may be mounted. The upper section is telescopically receivable within a lower section carrying the base portion of the figure. Additional sections may be telescopically disposed between the upper and lower telescopic sections as desired.
It is a significant feature of the present invention that the body portion intermediate the head and base portions may be moveable along the figure independently of the height of the figure, i.e., independently of the number and telescopic extent of the telescopic sections by which the height of the figure is adjusted. Thus, the body portion is moveable and maintained in a selected position along the figure between positions directly adjacent the head and base portions and any intermediate position therebetween and without regard to the height of the figure. To accomplish this, the body portion is comprised of an inner sleeve which is not attached to but is biased radially inwardly into frictional engagement about the telescopic sections. The radial inward bias of the sleeve about the telescopic sections enables the body portion to be frictionally maintained in selected positions along the figure.
To provide this inward bias, the body portion may have a stuffing, formed of resilient material, about the sleeve, which, not only forms part of the decorative portion of the figure, but functionally serves to maintain the sleeve compressed about the telescopic sections. Alternatively, the sleeve may be formed of an elastic material or may only have portions about the sleeve formed of an elastic material whereby the elastic material causes the sleeve to frictionally bind along the telescopic sections to frictionally retain the body portion in selected adjusted positions.
In one form of the present invention, the telescopic sections are generally cylindrical in nature. Alternatively, the sections may comprise non-cylindrical cross-sections which provide additional structural strength and avoid crimping of the telescopic sections when extended. For example, the telescopic sections may have the cross-sectional shape of a star. Additionally, the friction pads by which the telescopic sections are maintained in selected position relative to one another may comprise shoes on diametrically opposite sides of the sections and which shoes are biased radially outwardly by a spring engaging between the pads. The spring may comprise a resilient plastic shaped part, for example, a Z-shaped plastic element or a helical spring.
It is a further significant feature of the present invention that the body portion is movable along the toy figure and that the toy figure may be adjusted in height while maintaining its decorative overlay of the telescopic sections between the body and head portions on the one hand and the body and base portions on the other hand. To accomplish this, two discrete decorative overlays are provided, respectively, one connected between the body and head portions and the other between the base and body portions. Each overlay, preferably in the form of a sheath of decorative fabric material, has sufficient material to enable movement of the body portion a maximum distance from the associated portion, i.e., either the head or base portion. Thus, the preferred decorative fabric sheath between the body and the head portions has sufficient extent in the direction of the height of the play toy to overlie the entire neck portion when the body portion is moved a maximum distance from the head portion, i.e., to a position adjacent the base portion. Likewise, the preferred decorative fabric sheath between the body and base portions has sufficient extent in the direction of the height of the play toy to overlie the entire leg portion when the body portion is moved a maximum distance from the base portion, i.e., to a position adjacent the head portion. Conversely, the decorative fabric sheaths are simply gathered or compressed when the body portion is moved toward the sheath and to a position directly adjacent the respective head and base portions.
In another form of the present invention, it is desirable to pivot the leg and base portions of the figure outwardly when the legs are in their extended position. To accomplish this, the leg portions are provided with elongated or rod-like elements which extend through ball and socket joints carried by the base section. When the figure is fully extended, the upper ends of the elongated elements are located in the ball joints enabling the leg portion and feet to pivot outwardly relative to the remaining portion of the figure. When the base section is lowered relative to the elements, the leg elements pass through the ball joints to extend into the upper telescoping sections.
In a preferred embodiment according to the present invention, there is provided a play toy comprising a toy body having a plurality of generally upright sections telescopically receivable one with the other, one of the sections having a base portion at its lower end and another of the sections having an upper portion whereby, upon telescopic movement of the sections, the upper portion and the base portion are movable toward and away from one another to render the play toy shorter or taller, respectively, means engagable between the sections for releasably retaining the sections in selected telescopically adjusted positions relative to one another whereby the upper portion and the base portion are disposable in selected adjusted distances relative to one another, a body portion moveable along the sections independently of the telescopic movement of the sections and toward and away from each of the upper portion and the base portion. Means are provided cooperable between the body portion and the sections for releasably retaining the body portion in selected adjustable positions along the sections.
In a further preferred embodiment according to the present invention, there is provided a play toy comprising a toy body having upper, lower and intermediate sections, the intermediate section connecting between the upper and lower sections and including a biased bellows whereby the upper and lower sections are moved toward and away from one another, with the bellows maintaining the upper and lower portions at selectively adjusted positions relative to one another, a body portion movable along the intermediate bellows portion independently of the movement of the head and base portions toward and away from one another whereby the body portion may be displaced into a selected adjusted position along the bellows of the intermediate portion and means cooperable between the body portion and the intermediate portion for releasably retaining the body portion in selected adjustable positions along the intermediate portion.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved play toy figure which may be extended or shortened to selectively adjust the height of the figure and which play toy figure has a body portion moveable along the figure independently of its height.
These and further objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reference to the following specification, appended claims and drawings.